Rushing, Rushing, Late
by AryaZEvans
Summary: They say "Better late than never, but better never late". Minato agrees. Iwa decides it's not worth it. But what is waiting for Minato when he is late for his date, again?


Notes:

For Ninjazzz.

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Today was not a good day to be Namikaze Minato, though lately, most everyday is like that. Today was especially bad though. Today he was late. And that was not good. Not good at all. So, when the Iwa forces finally deigned to show up, he simply stands at the top of the hill and glares. "Not. Today." he ground out. With her hair casting dark shadows over this eyes and the venom in his voice it was very clear that this would not end well.

So, despite their earlier determination to take this particular outpost, the Elite Iwa Battalion decided that the next one over would do just as well, despite the less than ideal placement. They'd take a poisonous swamp full of megafauna over a pissed of Yellow Flash any day.

Those at the outpost watched the enemy forces leave, slightly bewildered. Many of them shuffled a couple feet further away from the man. When the retreating army was gone, Minato relaxed and sighed. "Man, Kushina's going to kill me for being late."

After grabbing his kunai pouch, which he'd forgotten to put on that morning, and checking with the outpost commander he flashed to his marker just outside the gates of Konoha.

Minato trudged through the gates of Konoha and headed towards where they'd planned to meet for their date. He waits outside for a bit, nervous, before he heads in. He cautiously makes his way towards Kushina and sits down next to her.

"Sorry Kushina, I got held up," he apologizes, "I promise I'll make it up to you."

He pauses for a moment, blinks, and wonders why he wasn't interrupted by one of Kushina's infamous outbursts He slowly turns his head, expecting to see her furious. Instead, it's like she never heard him, like he wasn't even there.

"Kushina?" He questioned. Still no response.

He tried again, "Kushina?"

This time he reached forwards to put his hand on her shoulder. Before it made contact, one of Kushina's hands slapped it away. But that was the only response she gave him. Now he was worried, she'd never acted like this before!

"Kushina?" He questioned again, letting his worry bleed into his voice. "Is everything okay?"

She slams her bowl of ramen down on the counter, spoiling some. Her glare is furious and scathing.

"Okay? Why would anything be okay! This is the fifth time Minato!" She yells.

Minato slumps. "I'm sorry."

"Yes. That's what you said last time, and the time before, and the time before." She spits out. "I don't even know if you're taking us seriously any more!"

He puts his face in his hands and rubs his temples; he can feel the headache coming on.

"It's not like I can help it, Kushina! What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to actually show up! I want you to keep your promises! You're constantly going out on last minute missions, coming back late, and saying you'll make it up to me! Well make it up to me! You've tried everything! I've tried everything! How is this going to work if you're never here!" Kushina's anger has cooled off, which was comforting- until she looked like she was about to cry. She stares stubbornly down at her bowl, not meeting his eyes.

"I'm so tired of this, Minato. Mikoto-chan is always off on the Kumo front. You're in Iwa at least every two days. I'm usually somewhere in-between. And every time we think we have time in the village together, you end up going back to Iwa!"

"You're just never around! But," she snorts dryly, "I suppose that's nothing new."

Minato flinches, reeling back.

"Kushina, you know I don't do this on purpose, right? I'm not leaving you alone by choice. I want nothing more than to be here with you. I love you..." He says this softly, and brushes a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"I know," she chokes out, "and that's why it hurts so much."

Minato didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent and pulled her close, an arm around her waist.

"I lost Kaa-chan and Tou-san like this," she managed to get out through the sobs. "We would always plan to go somewhere together when they were both home. I sat in the booth in Akane-oba's ramen place until closing time. They didn't make it. I assumed it was because they'd been delayed."

She cut off, no longer able to speak though the tears running down her face, and tucked her face in the crock of his neck. He rubbed her back, feeling his shirt dampening. When she didn't show a response he shot a distressed look at Teuchi, who shrugged- looking as baffled as Minato felt.

After a while she was able to calm down enough to continue, but didn't move.

"They'd died. They died and left me all alone. I don't want to be alone. I don't want you to leave me.

"I know you don't have a choice, I understand that. But every time this happens it's all I can think about. And tonight was going to be special! I had something to tell you!"

She suddenly shot back up to her previous position in shock, suddenly remembering what she meant to tell him. Unfortunately, since her head had been tucked by his neck, it was also under his jaw. So when she'd suddenly sat up, Minato flew back and out of his chair, landing on his back.

When Kushina noticed what happened she blushed in embarrassment and scrambled out of her seat to help him up. He got up slowly, feeling dizzy. He figured he must've hit his head.

"I remembered what I was going to tell you! I was so excited to tell you! I don't know how I ever forgot!" She babbled.

He smiled at her. What had he ever done to deserve her. She was the light of his life. She made him smile and laugh after a hard day. She joked and laughed with him about the strangest things. He loves her so much that he doesn't know what he'd do without her.

"I'm pregnant!" She cheers.

He freezes up. Again. He didn't think he'd hit his head that hard.

"U-um. I don't think I heard you right, could you say that again?"

"I'm pregnant!" Her blinding smile lit up even more, if that was possible.

Minato's eyes rolled into the back of his head and collapsed in a dead faint. This time it was Kushina's turn to freeze.

"Minato? Minato? Are you okay? Get up! You're supposed to be happy!" She pulled the unconscious man up by the collar of his shirt and shook him violently.

Kakashi walks in on the scene and stops. He takes stock of the situation, decides discretion is the better part of valor, and promptly shunshins out. His sensei would be fine, right? It's not like Kushina would actually hurt her husband, right? (He blocks out that one time with the rabid squirrel and the throw pillow.) Everything was fine.

Notes:

This was not meant to actually be something, but it is so... enjoy?

Also on AO3


End file.
